Kenney says the government was unaware when it formed the new panel in the spring of 2013 that it was inheriting a backlog of thousands of old-age security and Canada Pension Plan disability appeals from the previous system.

Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner asked the minister at a committee hearing why it took more than a year to bring on additional staff to handle the backlog as it’s swelled to more than 11,000.

The tribunal was ostensibly created to provide a more efficient appeal process for those denied employment insurance, CPP and old-age security benefits.

Kenney says part of the reason for the backlog is because new tribunal members had to go through a 12-month screening process to ensure they were qualified.

He says he secured cabinet approval earlier today to bring on 22 additional part-timers to help deal with the pileup of cases.